Le Moniteur Universel

Infobox Newspaper
name = Le Moniteur Universel


caption =
type = Daily newspaper
format = Berliner
foundation = November 24 1789
ceased publication = December 31 1868
owners = Charles-Joseph Panckouke
political =
headquarters = Paris, France
editor =
website = |

Le Moniteur Universel was a French newspaper founded in Paris on November 24 1789 under the title "Gazette Nationale ou Le Moniteur Universal" by Charles-Joseph Panckouke, and which ceased publication on June 30 1901. It was the main French newspaper during the French Revolution and was for a long time the official journal of the French government and at times a propaganda publication, especially under the Napoleonic regime. "Le Moniteur" had a large circulation in France and Europe, and also in America during the French Revolution.

History

The interest aroused by the debates of the first National Assembly suggested to Hugues-Bernard Maret the idea of publishing them in the "Bulletin de l'Assemblée". Charles-Joseph Panckoucke (1736-1798), owner of the Mercure de France and publisher of the famous Encyclopédie of 1785, persuaded him to merge this into a larger paper, the "Gazette Nationale ou Le Moniteur Universal".

On December 2 1799 "Le Moniteur" was declared an official newspaper. Napoleon controlled it via Hugues-Bernard Maret and Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès, who were responsible for its content. Due to Napoleon's strict controls of the press, the "Moniteur's" reports of legislative debates were replaced by bulletins of the Grand Army and polemical articles directed against England.

The words "Gazette Nationale" were dropped from the newspaper's name on January 1 1811, when it became "Le Moniteur Universel". The newspaper also became less exclusively political, articles on literature, science, and art occupying a considerable portion of its columns.

Napoleon's return from exile on Elba on March 20 1815 confirmed "Le Moniteur" in its position as official journal; "Le Moniteur" announced in the same edition both the departure of King Louis XVIII and the arrival of the Emperor in the Tuileries.

Immediately after the July Revolution of 1830, one of the first steps of the provisional government was to seize control of "Le Moniteur" and the government of Louis Philippe put it under the control of the ministerial departments.

"Le Moniteur" ceased publication on December 31 1868, being superseded by JORF.

References

*cite book | last = Popkin | first = Jeremy D. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Revolutionary News: The Press in France, 1789-1799 | publisher = Duke University Press | date = | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0822309971